San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez’s vision for a new county jail in Vista is as a state-of-the-art detention and reentry facility.
On Tuesday, February 17, Sheriff Martinez and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office hosted a community forum at the Vista City Hall Complex to talk about the future and modernization of the Vista Detention Facility.
She was joined by members of the Sheriff’s Detention Services Bureau (including the Vista Detention Facility and Sheriff’s Reentry Services), the San Diego County Department of General Services (DGS), law enforcement leaders and community experts.
During the two-hour community forum, Sheriff Martinez and invited guests spoke about the urgent need to modernize the current Vista Detention Facility.
Sheriff Kelly Martinez: “When I took office in 2022, we faced enormous and daunting challenges. Since that time, we have seen real progress in improving our jails, addressing the health care needs of people in our custody, filling staff vacancies, deputy, and employee wellness and enhancing care for substance use disorder. But we are not done. We need significant investment in aging infrastructure and detention facilities that are at the end of life and no longer serve the complex needs of the people in our custody. The community forum in Vista provided an opportunity for us to tell the story of what we are doing and what still needs to be done and to call on the public to participate in the process. I was excited by the engagement, conversations and ideas that were shared. I look forward to continuing this journey with our communities and for our community.”
Community members in attendance also had the opportunity to ask questions, provide feedback and attend breakout sessions to learn about Sheriff’s Reentry Programs, Medical & Mental Health, Facility Design & Construction and Community Impacts.
To watch a video that highlights the need for a modernized Vista Detention Facility, including success stories from formerly incarcerated individuals who participated in Sheriff’s Reentry Services programs, click on the above photo. You can also watch the video by clicking here.
On February 3, 2022, the California State Auditor issued a report on San Diego County jails, specifically on in-custody deaths, and recommendations on how to improve health care services and safety in jails.
Through the leadership of Sheriff Martinez, the Sheriff’s Office has been working to improve service delivery to those in our custodial care. This has been achieved through focused and extraordinary changes to existing systems and processes. Significant strides have been made toward improved and enhanced care.
Despite many improvements, further investments are necessary to update aging detention facilities and infrastructure. Significant investment is needed to update or replace systems that have reached end-of-life, including upgrades to plumbing, security, and electrical building infrastructure. Investing in infrastructure allows needed programming in proper spaces, especially medical and therapeutic services where confidentiality is critical.
One of the facilities that needs the most attention is the Vista Detention Facility. Built in in 1972 with expansions in 1978 and 1988, the Vista Detention Facility, located adjacent to the Vista Sheriff’s Station and North County Superior Court, has outlived its use.
Sheriff Martinez and the Sheriff’s Office have made replacing the Vista Detention Facility a high priority. A new county jail in Vista, which would be built on the site of the current jail, will:
Meet modern jail standards and rehabilitative support programming.
Support comprehensive re-entry programming and recidivism reduction.
Reflect the Sheriff’s vision for improved detention services.
Continue serving the North County as a jail that can book both male and female incarcerated persons in a facility close to the cities where they live.
A North County booking facility will decrease booking times, allowing for the Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies to return to their communities sooner for increased patrol and public safety.
To learn more about efforts to modernize the Vista Detention Facility, including information about future community forums, click here. To learn more about Sheriff’s Reentry Services, click here.
